Abstract

Immersive grief narratives offer a novel approach to fostering emotional support by deeply engaging audiences and eliciting empathetic responses. Grounded in the narrative transportation theory theoretical framework (Green & Brock, 2000), grief narrative research, and supported by existing literature on immersive media, this study examines how immersive 360-degree grief narratives compare to traditional video formats' ability to elicit sympathy, affective empathy, and cognitive empathy towards those grieving. Specifically, the study investigates how presence, conceptualized as realism and sense of being there, and narrative arousal shape empathetic responses toward individuals experiencing grief. By integrating these theoretical frameworks, this research seeks to enhance our understanding of how immersive storytelling can transform support mechanisms for grieving people. Findings from this study will provide insights into the potential of immersive 360-degree grief narratives to deepen emotional connections and foster empathetic understanding in audiences.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Fine Arts and Communications; Communications

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2025-05-30

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13687

Keywords

360-degree video, immersive grief narratives, empathy

Language

english

Download

Included in

Communication Commons

Share

COinS